For My Honor
by Chante-chan
Summary: AU: Kagome must go with the 'recruiters' in order to keep her family otherwise whole, and she must go far from her family and change much in her way of life. What is in store for Kagome? Why Now?
1. Prologue

As Kagome passed through the barren, snow covered land, following behind the older woman and man, clad in furs and thick clothing to stave off the cold, she shivered slightly, trying to regulate her breathing. How long had they been traveling? Three days? Five days? A week, or had it been more? She attempted to stave off the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes unbidden, but managed to keep her wits about her. She was scared. Blindingly, ferociously scared and she could do nothing to keep the feeling at bay. She let out a long suffering sigh as she remembered her final day at home.

-;-

"Mother, Mother where are you!" She called, searching for her mother, excited to show the woman who had given her life her progress with the bow and arrow. She could now hit many a moving target in rapid succession. She ran up the stairs, bursting into her mother's quarters in a show of jubilance she didn't often have the energy for, but stopped short when she saw that there were a couple of people talking with her mother.

"Oh, I'm sorry for intruding, mother dearest. I will wait until after –"She said lightly, turning on her heel.

"No, Kagome. We were discussing you. You may want to stay for a bit."

"Oh, Okay then, mother. It is a pleasure to meet both of you." She said, pausing to turn to the newcomers and she offered them a bow, showing respect as she had been taught. "What about me are you discussing, exactly?" She asked with a small smile upon her face.

"Kagome, dearest, these people have come to collect a person from our hold. They have heard of you from your teachers, and the nice Ken boy that you often played with when you were younger. They need someone who knows how to wield a weapon" She looked pointedly at the bow in Kagome's hand, "and who is not yet mature. They have requested that they be able to take you with them, although if you refuse, then we must send another from our house."

A fleeting look of panic swept across her face, as she turned to look at these strangers, so prepared to tear her family apart.

"Why exactly must I leave? What would you require of me if I chose to leave with you?"

"Every year or so, it is necessary that we gather a group of young people to train to defend all the holds. Who do you think takes care of the rogue demons and the crazies and all of the other undesirables that lurk around?"

She hesitated, "If I go with you?"

"The rest of your siblings will reach maturity before it is necessary that we collect another from your household. It rests upon your shoulders, Kagome." All eyes turned to hers, her mother looking pleadingly at her for reasons that she couldn't decipher. Did she want her to stay, or to go?

"If you are not chosen by the younglings, then you are free to come back home. We will not force you to stay where you do not feel welcome."

Kagome drew in a deep breath, considering her options. She could be selfish, and remain where she was and have a brother or a sister taken from her instead, or she could do what was right at go, and allow her younger sister to become heir. Theoretically, she had a good chance of not even needing to remain.

"I will… I will go with you, if you solemnly swear to leave the rest of my family alone, and allow me to return should I not be 'chosen', as you say."

The smile that the man gave her was swift in rising, and it left her feeling as though he was a merchant who had just sold her a rotten piece of fruit for double the price.

"Delightful. We leave on the morrow. I expect you to say your goodbyes tonight, because we shall leave before the sun." The man and woman left, but not before the small woman cast a pitying glance over her shoulder at the young heiress, and Kagome felt her stomach fall to her feet.

-;-

It was a long night, with her mother and her siblings fretting over her, doing her chores, and rubbing her back, giving her treats that she was not normally allowed, and other things. And all through this, Kagome maintained her melancholy mood, not crying but not bursting in cheer either. It was a difficult night.

She remembered best that she was given a pint of ale, the strong stuff not normally allowed to those who were not yet considered to be grown. She had pretty much always had ale, sweetened with honey and piping hot to keep her warm through the cool days, and she was certain that she could not remember a day when there had not been at least a light dusting of snow on the ground, at least most of the year. But it was the summer months now, and the air was crisp with the smell of snow-melt and the water was clear. There was no need for this, and knowing that her mother never did anything that she didn't feel was owed set a rock in the very pit of Kagome's stomach.

What could be so bad to warrant a steaming pint of ale, burning and delicious as it rolled down her throat and warmed her insides?

She sat in the firelight for a long time, staring at the flickering flames, which caught in her eyes and made them shine in the moonlight. She sighed softly, cradling the now long empty cup, her mind swirling with uncertainty.

After a long time, and the moon started to sink, she went to her room. After a few hours of fretful sleep, she opted to instead gather all of significance to her: her journal, which she had kept since she was old enough to write, the dagger that her father had gifted her on her deathbed, her lucky arrow, her pendant that Ken had given her 3 summers ago, a carving that her younger sister had gifted to her, and the amulet that she used to pray to the gods, and all of this she pushed into a small bag that she slung over her shoulder haphazardly. After she did this, she gathered all of her training clothing and gear, knowing that the flowing gowns that made up the vast majority of her attire would be both inappropriate and cumbersome, but she couldn't help but take one, a simple blood red dress that neither stained, nor caught in the prickly grass of their terrain.

She smiled as she folded it carefully, noticing that the dress had a gold necklace in the pocket, and a note that went along with it.

_Dearest Kagome, I know that you will choose this dress to take along with you. I give you this necklace, which your father had given to me whilst we were courting. I want you to enjoy whatever life may give you. Your mother. _

A small smile tilted her face, but just before she was to pack everything up she noticed a dress that she had never seen before in the very back of her closet. It was absolutely gorgeous: A dress made of furs the purest white, and the patterns that flitted across the front and back were the darkest red she had ever seen. She was at a loss for choosing, and so, she agreed to the added burden and brought both of the beautiful dresses. After she had packed all of the belongings that she deemed necessary into her bag, she paced her room for a while, and having exhausted everything that she had to do, her good-bye's said and done, her time spent with her family, her heart heavy with sorrow, she gathered her stuff, and headed to the practice grounds, her bow and arrows clenched tight in her hands, her mind set.

Her breath rolling out of her mouth in streams of white, she had emptied her quiver of arrows on all the targets, her arm burning with the strain of pulling the string taut, her heart racing as she let the arrow fly, most often true, towards the targets. It was like this that they found her, the sun not yet risen, and they collected her weary body, her mind set on honoring her family.

-;-

Chu like?


	2. The Story Begins

Once I had arrived at our destination, it took all I had not to gasp in wonder: the feasting hall was several times larger that the one back home that her family boasted, and as we entered, all eyes turned to my small form, causing my eyes to harden with the edge of mistrust and unease. I did not know these people, and neither did they know me. The meaning of this was not lost to me, and neither did this fill me with ease: being all but unknown in this place and being a female, I would be an easy target, with a very small amount of guilt attached to my torture. I should at least expect a heckling from these strangers the second my escorts left my service.

All eyes followed me, and I held my head high, falling upon court etiquette to get me through this ordeal generally unscathed. Whoever said that first impressions did not matter was an idiot. But I had to ask myself: What in the three worlds did they want from me? Did they want me to take up a lute and dance a jig? I grit my teeth in frustration. My hand flew to my bow which was strung across my back, brushing along my spine comfortingly with every step. I ran my cool fingers along the wood, worn smooth from years upon years of use and I relaxed. I convinced myself that I could be perfectly fine in this world, that I could make it through this, that, gods willing, I would find a place to stand in this world if only to do as mother had asked of me. Besides, few here seemed to come from my background. I doubt that many, if any at all, can match me in my control of a bow and arrow, and I am actually quite good with a dagger and a staff.

After I forced myself to relax, I rolled my shoulders to release the tension in them and to take the strain off of my neck, and I felt it: there was a shift in the energies around me. Perhaps it was something small, but it seemed to make all the difference. A long moment ticked past, and their attention shifted back to their previous duties, all interest in her long since passed. I had a clumsy grasp on something, something deep, deep down within me, and apparently the hold on it meant that I passed a test. Perhaps the first in the coming of many tests, but I had no way of knowing. I hastily followed along after the escorts who were truly not very good at their jobs, for they had left me behind. I ducked my head to keep myself from gaining any extra unwanted attention.

A few moments of uneasy silence between the three of us later, we came upon a set of large doors, covered from floor to ceiling in carvings. It was an attractive thing indeed. In our land of cold summers and nearly unbearably freezing winters had made it custom for those who lived here to normally refrain from such fineries. Unless one had an obscene amount of money just lying around. This brought a whole new slew of questions to the forefront of my mind. I tucked them away for later though, as I was pitched forward through the doors. I came face to face to a man. His broad chest and angular face nearly drew a gasp of surprise from me. He was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I drew into a bow that I had often used, the bow of equals. My viewing of him was cut short as the two escorts not so covertly pushed me to my knees.

A gasp of outrage was wrenched from my body, my eyes lighting up in unmasked fury. So this is where I stood? I was not an equal, but I had the status of a cleaning wench? I could taste my fury, and it sat heavily upon my tongue. I was poised like a snake, the words beginning to run from my tongue like quicksilver. But he cut me off, which only proved to further enrage me. How _dare_ he? I attempted to stand, if only to restore my dignity, but the hands that forced me to my knees also forced me to stay where I was, at his feet like a lowly servant.

"Jin, Kio, you are relieved from my service. Please go back to your normal duties, and expect your bonus in your strongboxes before the morrow." The silk that was his deep baritone only incited my rage further, my eyes focused upon his, the pure hatred that poured from them freely unchecked causing my eyes to lose focus. It did not matter, and I continued to stare at him, unblinkingly.

After a moment's hesitation, Jin left swiftly, Kio following like a dog at his heels. Their hands gone from my shoulders. My escorts for the days that it took to get here were gone from me before I could draw another breath, not even offering me a backwards glance. The urge to swallow what little moisture remained in my mouth was great, but I pushed the desire back, finding that such a thing would likely be seen as a weakness. I straightened my back, rolling my shoulders as if to dispel the feeling of their hands forcing me into subservience. I took my time rising from my knees, first moving into a kneel, and then into my feet, my eyes never leaving his. I made sure that he knew what was happening, and that I was not just eager to once again stand again, but to also defy him as swiftly and as clearly as I could. I held my hands behind my back. I was not going to remain at his feet. My past as an heiress demanded that I stand, and glare at him, and so I did. The spark of anger in my eyes caused his to twinkle in response, and his face split into a wolfish grin. He shifted, a bubble of laughter raising from him in a ruthless torrent. He leaned against his throne (_pompous ass_) and rested his cheek in the cradle of his palm, his eyes fixed upon mine. I tried not to stare at the angles of his face, the relaxed tilt of his mouth or the fire in his eyes.

"So you are Kagome? It seems that our sources have lied to us. When I asked your teachers and that boy… Ken? Is that his name?" He let another chuckle fall from his lips at my quickly souring expression.

"Ah, so his name is Ken. Well, all of their reports were the same. You are supposed to be a good little girl who is capable of doing what she is told. You do not seem obedient, little princess, but I wonder if your prowess with the bow was also just a show of hyperbole."

Here he leaned close to me as if he was imparting the dearest of secrets to his closest of friends, the smell of sandalwood soap wafting under my nose. I glared harder at him.

"Would you care to show me your skill, little girl?" My eyes widened in outrage.

_Little girl?_

I had always been known of as the girl. Pathetic, useless, barely worth the effort in raising if but to strengthen the family ties with those of more power than us. I jutted my chin out proudly, quickly drawing my bow from my back. I reached further back, drawing an arrow from the full quiver strung over my shoulder. I drew back the string, feeling the surge of exhilaration running through me in a heady wave of happiness. I turned from him, releasing my arrow from the bow, watching its path going from me through the window, and through an apple suspended from a low branch of the tree. I turned back to him, smiling my triumph at him, my mouth tilted into a mocking smile.

"Skilled enough for you, my _lord_?" I asked, my emphasis on mocking him.

"Enough for now, although my the end of this I expect you to be better than what you are right now, _girl_-" He said, and I flew at him, blinded by my rage.

I wanted to choke the life out of him, and I wanted to do it _now_. But it was no good, the thick column of his neck was too wide for me to stop his air flow, and his eyes lighted up with a laugh. I at once regretted my frame that I had inherited from my mother. I was a tiny little slip of a woman, and my hands were no different than the rest of me. So I changed tactics, using the remaining momentum from my lunge to rear my hand back, ball it into a tight fist, and, taking a delightful notice of the look of surprise on his face, I brought my hand down. I grinned in delight at his look of surprise, and the squish of his flesh, even as I was thrust from him and onto my rear by a hand in my face.

"Enough skill for a little _girl_?" I asked, the smile plastered to my face, showing no signs of leaving any time soon. I ignored the throbbing in the back of my head from the impact of my head to the floor. There was no way that a little pain could ruin my good mood. But when I looked up at him, I realized that I passed some unspoken boundary, and that in all my rage I admitted that I had indeed gone a bit too far. What to do, what to do… The idea of prostrating myself at his feet was swift in coming and swifter in leaving. I resisted the urge to snort. After such a victory I would never dream of it. I decided instead to maintain my dignity. I allowed myself to smile, slowly, ever so carefully, and I batted my lashes flirtatiously against my cheeks, looking up at him. I had won this little battle.

"A child I am not, _milord_."

"Oh yes, I can see that. You are quite skilled at using the fact that you are a woman." He stood. "Let us see if you can appreciate how skilled I am at being a man."

A look of horror crossed my face, and I fought the urge to retreat. He stalked closer to me, his eyes alight with thinly veiled anger. I held my ground, even as he came within inches of me. I held my breath as well, not sure how to get him away from me.

To my rescue was a cleared throat, and my head snapped to look at the newcomers. I smiled at them, looking back to him with another smile of victory.

He stepped back, straightened, and looked at the three boys that had come. The boy in the middle looked down, blushing softly and it was to my complete horror that I realized that they had been there for quite an amount of time. I was hesitant to talk to them and I hoped that I needn't have too. They had seen their lord struck by a woman. I lowered my eyes in shame, tilting my head in that charming way that most believe meant that I was truly sorry for my actions.

"I am sorry, my _lord_" I murmured softly, not seeming to be able to make my voice lose the condescension in the title. "I beg your pardon. I do not know what came over me." I bowed my head, not daring to make eye contact. I knew that men in this realm liked their women weak, meek, and subservient. I knew better than to rile him up like this, but it was the sweetest treat I could give myself.

He too cleared his throat, " It is to be expected." He motioned to the three men in here

"This is the last member of your group." His eyes met mine, "At least for now. Leave me"

We all turned and left, not looking back at the trumped lord. I fought the urge to smile like a ninny.


	3. Settling In with My Pack

I walked with my pack mates back to our lodgings, smiling softly at the two boys who followed behind the older one with me. I made idle conversation with them while we walked, my arms laced with theirs, an easy demeanor about me. I liked them. They were kind and easy to talk to. I looked forward, watching the older male's hair sway with his easy, measured gate. Once we came to our room, I was surprised by the overall size of it. There was only one bed, which was common in our realm, made of hay and furs. It was quite large and it could easily hold 10 people, with still enough space to stretch and lay about however one wished. Even though I was an heiress, my home had no room quite as large as this one, and I was at once regretful. All of my keepsakes that I left behind could have easily came with me. It was quite a depressing thought. Oh well…

"So, my pack mates, allow to introduce my-" I was cut off and immediately shocked.

"Kagome, right?" The two boys that I had been talking to chimed at once. I cocked my head to the side, confused at how they knew my name. I couldn't remember saying it… I wanted answers. Now. How do they know my name? A long stretch of silence filled the Spartan but spacious chamber as they looked between each other.

"The leader and elders have spoken highly of you. You are kept in high regards, for a woman. We know that you are the last candidate from your family for this generation. Your mother came here before you, a long while ago, before the current leader came to power. She was skilled, far better than many of even the male candidates. Those with influence believed that she was to inherit an alpha, if not male then female, and everyone was shocked when she was passed up by three different litters. She had the option to stay, because she was well loved, but she decided to leave instead. Did you not know that?" Inuyasha looked at me, not quite believing that I was so ignorant of my mother's past.

I shook my head, setting my bags on the bed, opening the chest that held my strongbox. I settled all of my things in, being careful to keep my dresses from their view. I didn't want them to think that I was some silly girl who only had eyes for dresses and shiny bobbles. I resisted the urge to snort, instead closing the lid of the chest and locking it, putting the key on the necklace that I kept at my neck.

"Well, since you know me, and my family background, what about yourselves?" I smiled, glancing around the room, my eyes moving from one boy to the next and the next after him.

"Well, you know the name of mutt breath and myself. I am the son of a chieftain of a demon tribe that lives in the far south, where there is only snow for a few months of the year and the rest is warm and pleasant. I miss the ground being warm beneath my feet." He trailed off, obviously remembering how he missed his home land.

"My name ain't mutt breath, wolf. I'm Inuyasha, the son of the dog lord of the west and princess Izayoi. The one who hasn't said a word to you yet is my half brother, Sesshomaru. We share a father, but his mother is a dog demon as well. Her name escapes me, but we don't use it when addressing her. We aren't the extent of your pack, but the females are out at the training ground-" My eyes brightened with excitement, and I had to resist the urge to jump up and down excitedly.

"There are training grounds? Where? It has been what seems like an age since I have had any target practice. Could you lead me there? My footwork could use some work as well, come to think of it. Do you know how to use a staff? I'd like to spar with one of you, if it wouldn't be too much of a bother…" I babbled on like that, oblivious to their flabbergasted looks of awe.

I laced my arms with Inuyasha's and Kouga's, smiling brightly at them. I couldn't wait, a training ground. An _actual_ training ground instead of the improvised one that I had made at home. Sesshomaru trailed behind us, slightly curious of what I assume he thought was a weapon savvy female, a human, none the less. I looked at him over my shoulder, smiling softly.

"So, what are your training grounds like? Do you house horses here? I almost hit my mark at home on horseback, although I was a bit too far off to feel like I made any real progress. At home it took me a great long while to train myself to stay on the horse without falling off while he galloped, let alone shooting an arrow whilst perched upon his back"

Inuyasha and Kouga joined in on my conversation, and we compared the positive and negative aspects of various weapons, although I soon found out that Inuyasha and Kouga were biased towards the sword, where my loyalties lie with the bow. We talked quietly as we walked through the halls, Sesshomaru silent throughout the entire half-hour trip to the northernmost point of the stronghold.

I shivered as we exited the building, walking into a gust of frigid air. I noticed that there were several people in the training areas, three or four of which were introduced to me as my pack mates, although I wasn't quite interested in their names at the time. I am sure that once I was free of them and came to view the sea that my mouth hung open in awe in a rather un-lady-like display. I took a deep breath of the sea air into my lungs, reveling in the sting in my nose and the burn in my chest. I had never seen the sea before this point, and it was quite the amazing thing. There were lakes and rivers, sure, but even the widest rivers can be seen across, and lakes are easy enough to navigate. My home land was a land locked province, and no people came that far inland to our castle doors. I loosened my hands from around Kouga and Inuyasha, walking toward the sea expectantly. I grabbed Sesshomaru's arm, edging towards the shore hesitantly.

Although my actions held fear, my eyes were alight with expectation and wonder.

"Look! Those birds, they are seabirds, correct? They are quite large, compared to the birds from home. Could you imagine? Being that large, soaring above the sea and the people, only having to land when you wished to feed or rest? Doesn't that sound lovely? To be so free, to be your own master?" I held out my free hand, taking another deep breath of the sea air. I decided immediately that I loved the sea. I loved it with all my heart.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hn?"

"Is it normal to have the urge to run? I want to feel the air streaming through my hair. I want to feel free and weightless and run until I can no longer." I turned my eyes up to his, looking into the depths of his amber orbs. My hand twisted in his sleeve, nervous at what he might think of me. I could hear the worry and doubt ring in my head. For a very long moment he looked at me as though I was crazy, and then his eyes lifted from mine to survey the land of the training grounds. He quirked an eyebrow at me, giving off an air of disbelief.

"You wish to run." I nodded happily, my eyes not leaving his. I wanted more than to run. I just didn't want to ask for it and feel foolish. He made a small noise in his throat, looking at me.

" You wish to run with this Sesshomaru." I grinned, nodding a confirmation to him.

"Will you please, Sesshomaru? We could make a game out of it, if you wish. Mayhap you could chase me and try to catch me, and once you do I could try to catch you in turn. Wouldn't that be fun, Sesshomaru?" I beamed up at him, covertly slipping my hand into his.

"Please?" I paused here to smile smugly, peaking up at him. "Although if you do not wish to play with me, it is understandable. I understand that you do not wish to lose in front of your peers. It is perfectly normal to wish to avoid embarrassing yourself." I grinned, not quite noticing the look he shot at me. He stepped back, reclaiming his hand from mine. I opened my mouth to apologize, although he held his hand up to silence me.

"This Sesshomaru will play your game. You may have a head start. I will count to ten, girl, and then I will catch you. Run swiftly, human. I would like a decent chase" I got over my shock at such a long speech from him and made a bee-line to the wooded area on the far end of the training grounds. My breath puffed out around me, shrouding me in a blanket of opaque fog. I tried to judge how long had passed. He did not call out the time that had passed, so I was lost as to how far he was into his count. The second I came upon the first tree, I started weaving in between the trunks of the trees, trying to lace my scent around as many trees as I could to muddy up the path that I took. I slipped through a dense group of brush, jumping a bush full of briar thorns, intent on not cutting myself. If I bled, I would be an easy find.

Why hadn't he caught me yet? I know that I am fast for human standards, but even with the ten second count he could have caught me the second after he was done counting. I could feel my heart thudding in my chest angrily, waiting for him to snatch me up, and say something condescending about my age or my race. I could feel the irradic thud of my heart in my chest as I swerved further into the woods.

I gasped, pitching forward after tripping over the exposed root of a tree, my shin screaming at the rough contact. I threw my hands before me, ready for the impact of the cold hard ground. I waited for the pain, maybe the crunch of bone, but it had yet to come. I hesitantly opened my eyes, coming face to face with Sesshomaru, who was laying on the ground with his arms held out, keeping me suspended from the ground by gentle pressure on my shoulders.

"You should be more careful, girl, unless you enjoy pain. I expect you to perform better than this on hunts, as I will not tolerate another embarrassment in my pack. One is plenty." He pushed me into a standing position, effortlessly rising from the ground as I did. I cast my eyes down, a fierce blush covering my already rosy cheeks. I was embarrassed that I had just been reprimanded by a person who barely had spoken thirty words to me. I dusted myself off and walked over to the tree root I had stumbled over, feeling along my shin in order to confirm my state of being. I would have a bruise, but had he not saved me I would most likely have broken at least my nose, if not an arm.

"How old are you, human?" He asked, his arms crossed over his chest, hovering above me to make sure I could adequately determine whether a bone was broken or not.

"I am not a girl! I am almost thirteen, old enough to be married off in some provinces, so there." I smiled triumphantly, turning my head so that my hair fell over my shoulder and out of my face as I made sure nothing else was hurt. I peeked up at him, smiling gently, my lip caught between my teeth.

"How old are you, demon?" I asked, turning my eyes back to a hole in the knee of my trousers. I resisted the urge to sigh at it, playing with the frayed edges of the hole. These were my good trousers, too.

His voice held a small smile, though his face did not.

"How old do you think I am, _girl?_" I wanted to be mad that he was calling me a girl still, although I couldn't find the will to be. He ran a hand through his hair, my eyes following the movement. He looked as though he had just walked out of the bathing chambers, even after he had moved onto the ground to catch me before I seriously hurt myself. I myself was seriously rumpled, and I could feel a smudge of dirt on my face. I moved my hand to wipe it away, and I felt him pull a stray twig from my hair.

"I am not certain, Sesshomaru. Although you look to be around my age, you are also a demon. Are you fifty? A hundred years? Was I close?"

He grinned, sitting with me on the root, his knee nudging mine.

"I am fifteen of your human years. I am still old enough to call you a girl. You mustn't know much about demons, do you?" He looked into my eyes, his own mocking me at my ignorance.

"We age like you for a while, but the aging process gradually levels off at what looks to be a form no older than that of twenty five of your human years, when we reach full maturity. For one who knows so much of weapons, I would think that your mother would have you educated better." He stood, holding out a hand to help me stand. I took it, smiling graciously. We started walking back towards whence we came. I looked down at our joined hands, my own warm in his.

"Well, sir all knowing, could you be persuaded to teach me about your people? I could tell you about my own kind, how our emotions work and how we see the world. That would be a fair trade, right?" I was eager to know about his people. In all honesty, I was eager to know anything. I silently berated myself for being so easily exicted, and looked into his eyes.

"Perhaps, girl. You know that I do not act like this around the others of our pack, correct? I _won't_ act like this once we get back. I will teach you, but only in private, and only if you swear to never tell anyone that I treat you differently. Do we have a deal?" I nodded, slightly gladdened that I was special.

"Why are you so kind to me anyways? I do not understand what makes me special, although I am not complaining." I looked up at him, waiting for an answer that would never come. We walked back towards the training grounds, his hand slipping from mine as we neared the tree line. I walked away from him, putting off the best upset attitude that I could. Inuyasha and Kouga were immediately around me, and they walked me to the feasting hall. I didn't spare Sesshomaru a backwards glance.


	4. Knowlege Known Yet Forgotten

I was tired and grumpy, looking upon the seemingly emotionless face of Sesshomaru. I didn't want to get up, and was sure he knew as much. I snorted absently to myself; as if he cared what I wanted. I rolled over dispassionately, drawing the covers up over my face to hide from him like some monster in the dark, hoping that he would go away if I stayed still long enough. After a few moments of waiting for the weight of his frame to move from the bed passed in futility, I turned my head to the side, casting him a look over my shoulder disdainfully.

"The sun has not yet risen. I wish to sleep a few hours yet," I mumbled, still only half-conscious in the dark of the room and the large but slightly crowded bed. Myself being the newcomer, I was at once herded to the very edge of the bed, given a few inches from the next bed mate. I rubbed my nose along the sleeping fur, half-lulled back to sleep when he shook my shoulder.

"Get up, human." It was my barely audible command, and it was both unwanted and extremely annoying. Could he not just be silent and allow me to return to my dreams and forget that he woke me up at all?

I grumbled quietly to myself, unhappily pulling the covers higher. I mentioned something about stringing him up by his innards and, at this point, by the gods, I was willing to try.

This was his first time talking to me since the day we held our rendezvous in the forest and quite frankly I wasn't too keen on talking to him at this point; I was hard pressed to acknowledge him when I was fully coherent, let alone half asleep and highly agitated.

"Come back when the sun rises" I whispered softly, lulled back into sleep, my breath evening out. I groaned and my eyes flew open when he pulled my fur off of my prone form, leaving me in just my undergarments. I hissed in anger, reaching blindly for the fur with one arm, the other still curled under me as a prop for my head. I growled at this injustice and rolled over, intent to deny him the pleasure of annoying me and letting him see such. I didn't have to look to know that he was smirking at me; we both knew who would win this round. He made his wordless sound, his "hn" before leaning forward, hovering over me, whispering conspiratorially in my ear:

"If you wish for your lessons on demon culture to continue today or on any later date, you'd best rise now, while the opportunity lasts,"

I sighed slightly, seeing as I was not allowed to get any more rest, although I have trained almost nonstop for as long as I can remember here. Yesterday was particularly brutal, and my bones still ached from the effort. I smiled sweetly up at him, my hand rising to lightly rest on his chest, my lips parted just so; I waited until I could see his cocked eyebrow to grin maliciously, pushing the surprised demon onto the floor, his back colliding with the stone with a harsh thud before I finally rolled out of bed.

I heard his faint mutterings as I forced myself upright, pulling my fur lined clothing and boots. I pulled my hair into a tight braid, looking over at him in askance. He walked forward, and my hand instantly sought his. I silently berated myself for acting like a little child, but I decided that I was being stupid. I swallowed thickly, looking into his half-shadowed amber eyes, my heart thudding slightly painfully in my chest, against my will.

"So, what are you going to teach me, Sesshomaru? Court etiquette? Or perhaps maybe the value of rude wake up calls before Luna herself is fully ascended? Oh, mayhaps you wish to teach me of the unimportance of sleep to the mighty demon race?" I huffed softly, rubbing my tired eyes as if to do so would clear more than my sight.

"Quiet yourself, girl. Your blabbing in distractive. I wish to-" he quieted himself, looking at me sternly to impart upon me the importance of my silence. I followed his gaze as it strayed from me to instead look at a pair of sentry. I had to hold my breath in order to keep from shrieking. He pulled sharply on my arm, his eyes narrowing at them. We disappeared into the shadows, becoming one with our surroundings. I found that I was surrounded by his arms, one of his hands pressed tightly against my mouth.

The seconds ticked by as the light from their torch became brighter and brighter, looking as though at any second we would be thrown into the eerie glow, but as luck would have it, just as the light reached the toes of our boots it disappeared, receding away from us and shrouding in a comforting veil of black. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as Sesshomaru's hand slipped from my mouth, and I slowly relaxed in his arms. I pressed a hand to my heart, willing the little organ to calm in its incessant and rapid beating.

With the lump in my throat, I chose not to utter another word until he was done leading me to wherever we were going. We stopped in a large clearing, perhaps two miles into the dense forest, and I sat shakily on a fallen tree, downed by what had looked to be fire or lightning or perhaps both. I shifted, moving my foot into my lap so I could rub my slightly swollen appendage. I smiled minutely, allowing myself to bask in the delicate scent of blossoms-

Wait… What?

I looked around in wonder, my mouth tilting further upwards in a smile before I turned my eyes back to his, a slightly confused look creasing my brow. All of the trees up to this point had been evergreen, and yet this orchard-garden was full of blooming trees, to say the least it was an oddity in the wasteland in which we lived. Why bring me here?

"Do you know what demons are, Kagome?" I was surprised by both the question and the soft tone of voice he used to ask it. I fiddled nervously with my fingers in my lap.

"I… Well, that is… N-not exactly…" I stumbled over my words, my mouth jumbling my already frazzled thoughts as the exited the confines of my mind, making less and less sense as I continued on.

"A demon is…" He paused, looking for the right words to say. "A demon is the child of the Kami and a mortal, both of which greatly surpass us in age. We have the longevity of the gods and the civilization of the ancestors of common day mortals, who are their direct descendants. Common day mortals are what resulted from them gradually losing the gods favor.

On occasion, one of these demi-gods will find other demi-gods and create new lines of demons. The demons inclined towards animals, such as myself, are the result of the shape-shifter god copulating with a human. The mindless demons that roam the land are the result of cults who force women or sometimes the gods themselves to create progeny, and these demons are plagued with a never ending threat of madness. They are misshapen and are maddened not by fate, but by their ancestors who constantly are streaming lines of insanity into their minds, whispering of the powers that they are not meant or able to hold. It is this constant threat that keeps our numbers small.

Demons are at constant struggle to keep themselves sane, and we are much more prone than our human counterparts to fall to the hands of insanity. My litter was a seemingly auspicious one, with four males and nine females, meaning that it held both the auspicious numbers of nine and thirteen. It was enough to ensure my line a prosperous future. However, they all fell to the hands of madness, and I was the only survivor. My father, who was grief-stricken, found comfort in the arms of a human concubine-priestess who bore him Inuyasha," He turned from me and was quiet for a long time, his eyes a curious mix between infuriated and confused. He continued on.

"In demon societies, the so-called 'half-breeds' are seen as blemishes, shameful because they veer further away from the gods, and they take more after humans. This is seen as an affront to the gifts that the gods have given us," I run my fingers over my knees, uncertain as to what to say. I did not expect such a serious topic as my second allowance of knowledge.

"I did not… That is… Sesshomaru…"

"The humans have long forgotten who the demons truly are, and as such the half-breeds are also scorned by the human race as monsters, vile and horrid, untrustworthy and feral. They are too close to the abominations that they so wish to destroy. Strong families of demons are dying out more and more frequently as time passes, and the humans hunt down the so called "cults" of holy women who still copulate with the old gods, and who still respect the old ways, calling them witches because they are closer to the understanding of the self and the power that they hold than the current peoples," He took a deep breath, looking at me, his eyes rimmed in red. For a long moment, I mistook his ire as sadness; I had believed that he was crying.

"That is what demons are, Kagome, and that is the view of the so-called half demons.

I was silent for a long while, absorbing what he has told me.

"Why tell me this, Sesshomaru?" I looked up at him with wide, watery eyes, searching for an answer. For a great, throbbing moment he did not answer and I was sure this was another question that was voiced in vain.

"I – you asked for knowledge and answers; now you have them,"

My heart in my throat, I spoke slowly so as not to allow my tears to spill down my cheeks:

"Humans don't… Our life spans are a blink of an eye to most demons, which have the capability to live tens if not hundreds or thousands of our generations. We forget the roots that make up the plant and many a moon have passed since we have watered them. Our plant is withering. We know, or rather, expect, that we were made after the image of the gods, and that we were molded out of clay and gifted to the goddess Tera. We were frail and weak, and so the gods gifted us versatility, adaptability, and most important of all, hope" I was going to continue, but my throat constricted and hot, angry, shamed tears fell, cooling my cheeks and stinging my eyes and the corner of my mouth.

He sat next to me as I silently berated my people, determining that I would be the judge of the so-called godless demons. I would find out for myself. I opened surprised eyes as I felt a hand in my hair, and looked up to see Sesshomaru taking a blossom that had drifted down to earth before us, setting it behind my ear. His other hand slipped into my own, warm in my own cool one.

"How do these trees thrive in the cold?" I asked, looking around us in wonder as the trees swayed slightly in the wind like drunken men. I took another deep breath, ingraining the smell into my heart.

"It was a gift from my mother to my father, when both of them walked the earth, centuries ago. They made it the final step before –" he cut off and looked away.

"Before…?"

"It is nothing. What is your favorite fruit?" He had restored his façade in mere seconds; an impressive feat considering his voice was full of emotion only seconds before. I attempted to drop the subject with him.

"Apples: they are greatly bountiful and versatile, in addition to being wonderfully sweet. Their blossoms are pretty too. And what of you, Sesshomaru?"

"Peaches." He looked upon me and I waited patiently for an explanation, yet none was forthcoming.

We sat in silence for a great time until after Luna disappeared behind the veil of light that the sun provided. After that, he brought me to the training grounds and showed me how bad my footwork truly was.


	5. A Battle Won

My heart thudded in my chest, a strange taste in my mouth as I stared ahead, holding the staff in a vice like grip that turned my knuckles white. After honing my skill with the sword for who knew how long, I was self conscious. I was substandard with the staff, because I was sure, I was _absolutely certain_ that for this litter they would have us use a sword. But I was wrong, and unfortunately for me, that meant almost certain doom.

Sesshomaru had warned away my worry, and now he stood in the crowd, watching the competitors with his cool and callous façade, watching for who he would have to become pack mates with. He had won in the first round with barely a motion. A person who had not seen the fight asked me if he had broken a sweat, and I need not have answered. A group of five turned to face the unwitting girl, and responded with various harsh forms of "no". I sighed softly, looking out at the ring from the very edge, my feet hanging onto the ring, which consisted of a circle of packed snow.

I watched as a very slight girl twirled the staff between her fingers, showing expert skill as she faced her opponent. She dodged this way and that, smiling all the while as the much larger opponent swiftly tired himself out. He lunged and stomped and swung his staff, but never landed a blow. I cringed as she made her first strike, felling the giant in a single blow. She turned to the officials, bowing low but not managing to wipe off her victorious smirk. They nodded the confirmation of her win, and she stood, swiftly turning and exiting the arena, her hair snapping like a snakes strike.

Behind me, cool and detached, I heard Sesshomaru exchange words with his younger brother.

"Efficient."

He seemed unconcerned for his brother's wellbeing, which depended on this tournament just as much as my own did. If either of us lost, we would at very least be the scum that stayed because they had a desperate grasp on a pup from a lesser breed. At very best we would be allowed to stay here and continue training, but hold no real position on any of the affairs that occurred. This was our last chance at any sort of ranking, and his overly brash and cocky demeanor gave away his nerves.

It was very soon my turn to compete for my chance at a pup. My pack mates stood behind me in a semicircle as I looked at my adversary. He was smaller, and his eyes constantly moved as if chasing something that existed just on the edge of his field of vision.

Behind me too, I could hear Sesshomaru's voice, carrying over the prattle that the rest of my team was shouting. I leaned back subconsciously, looking for his words.

"Look, half-breed, if you wish to win then let your weapon do the work for you. Do not attempt anything brash." His words continued, but the horn sounded and I could not hear the rest. I would not have the chance to, for the man lunged at me, aiming for my head. I moved out of the way, sliding a bit on the slippery snow as I moved into a defensive form, my heart thudding in my chest as I took painful gulps of the frigid air. I circled around him as he righted himself and prepared for another attack.

"Be careful, brother"

He charged at me with his staff poised for a blow to the head. I took a step forward to deflect the attack, but instead of sidestepping I slid, landing roughly on my back, the force of the fall making me slide helplessly between his legs, which effectively swept his feet from under him.

"Good, you are starting to get it."

I scrambled onto my feet, looking apprehensively at him as he cradled his broken nose, turning angry eyes towards my still slipping form. He growled low in his throat, changing his hold on his staff, using it like one would use a lance, jabbing at me as I struggled to dodge. He managed to get me a few times in my ribs. I winced, sliding further back, nearly tumbling into the snow.

"Do not think too much, lest you be caught surprised as your enemy fells you."

I nodded to myself, shoving against him with the point of my shoulder, bringing my staff down against the junction of his head and shoulder with all of my body weight behind it. He pushed forward, and with nowhere to run, I tumbled to the ground, grunting at the impact. I panicked, using my staff to push him away from me, squeezing my eyes shut as he reared back his hand to strike me. It took me a moment, but I flailed, and after a few seconds my foot collided with something and I heard a pained grunt as he fell away from me.

Rushing to sit on his chest, I pressed my staff against the column of his neck and pressed down, with the weight of my body behind it. I struggled to hold him down and cut off hi air supply. He gurgled one last time before I felt him go lax beneath me, and I pulled my staff away with haste. I searched for his pulse, finding it lightly thrumming beneath my fingers.

I felt a rush of relief, feeling his light pulse under my searching fingers, and I stood, bowing to the officials. I balled my hands into fists, willing the tremors to stop. I shakily walked out of the ring, picking my way through the crowd.

-;-

Many hours later I relaxed in the dining hall, sitting with my fellow winners from the day's competition. I smiled as they were introduced to me. Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Kouga, and myself were the only ones from my pack. I looked around to see a man apprenticed as a monk, a demon-slayer with a quick temper, a cold woman who looked like me but wasn't much for conversation, a fox kit that constantly was getting into trouble, a wolf demoness who had a bone to pick with Kouga, and Ken, an elemental demon with kind eyes and a calm, sort of morose demeanor about him.

It was a celebration, and the ale flowed like a river, warming the insides and loosing the tongue.

We were all merry and jolly, some of us perhaps too much, as Monk-in-training Miroku couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself, nor could he keep at bay the bawdy jokes. I was fighting a losing battle to keep the pink from my cheeks as he spoke, recounting the lady-loves that he had left at home.

And so we spent the night, merry and happy as the wee hours of the night closed in, the spirits and good food getting to our heads. We were coerced into a game from Miroku's homeland.

We worked ourselves into teams, and as luck would have it I ended up with Sesshomaru, who looked severely disinterested.

Miroku smiled deviously, no doubt elated that he had sweet talked another batch of suckers.

"Rules are simple. You just need to have the highest number on your cards. You combine the values of your team's cards and whichever team has the most point's wins.

We drew our cards after placing our bets, and I looked confusedly up at Sesshomaru, hesitating to pull my card. He leaned towards me, and I closed my eyes as his scent wafted into my nose. I was startled as his words reached my ears.

"The monk cheats. Draw from the bottom of the deck"

I looked around; sure the others had heard the accusation. I shrugged when they looked to be none the wiser. I drew, and Miroku urged us to add up our totals.

While most were in the single digits, Miroku's team had a tally of seventeen, which narrowed a few eyes. That cheater!

I held my card out, surprised that I had a ten, and turned my eyes to Sesshomaru. He sighed morosely, and laid down his card, revealing a nine. I let out a little squeal as I collected our prizes.

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